The current situation in Indonesia reflects a serious decline in democracy and the protection of human rights. Repressive actions by state forces against peaceful demonstrations increasingly underscore a pattern of restrictions on civic freedoms, while reviving the specter of authoritarian practices from the past. Arbitrary arrests, violence by security forces, and the involvement of the military in civilian affairs are warning signs of the weakening of the rule of law and accountability.
In this context, CELIOS has sent an official letter to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to raise increasingly worrying concerns about human rights violations. The letter calls for international mechanisms to become involved in monitoring and investigating the situation, and in pressing the state to ensure accountability for the various acts of violence and repression currently taking place.
The current situation in Indonesia reflects a serious decline in democracy and the protection of human rights. The repressive actions of state apparatus against peaceful demonstrations increasingly highlight the systematic restriction of civic space, while simultaneously reviving the shadows of authoritarian practices from the past. Arbitrary arrests, state violence, and the involvement of the military in civilian affairs all signal a dangerous erosion of the rule of law and accountability.
In this context, CELIOS has submitted an official letter to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR) to raise concerns over the escalating human rights violations. The letter calls for international mechanisms to be engaged in monitoring, investigating, and pressing for accountability in response to the state violence and repression currently taking place.
Key Concerns:
Democratic Decline: The Indonesian government’s aggressive response to peaceful demonstrations undermines democratic institutions and suppresses freedom of expression. Citizens face heightened risks when exercising their right to protest.
Police Brutality: Security forces have systematically employed excessive and lethal force including the excessive and unlawful use of crowd-control weapons, leading to fatalities, injuries, and widespread fear among civilians.
Military Involvement: The deployment of military-style units in civilian protests signals a dangerous encroachment of military authority into domestic affairs, threatening the separation between civilian governance and military power.
Mass Arbitrary Arrests and Enforced Disappearance Risks: Echoing the patterns of 1998, authorities have conducted mass arbitrary arrests, often targeting protesters during or after demonstrations. Many detainees’ whereabouts are concealed from their families, obstructing legal assistance and raising serious concerns over the potential for enforced disappearances.
The use of draconian articles under ITE Law to 4 activists and other digital repression including bans on live features of TikTok which the protesters used to livestreamed the protest areas.
Urgent Call to UN OHCHR:
Given the escalating violence and violations of fundamental human rights, we strongly urge UN OHCHR to:
Facilitating UN Special Procedures to visit and monitor the situation closely and document all incidents of abuse and repression.
Investigate cases of police brutality, including the death of Affan Kurniawan, injuries sustained by protesters, mass arbitrary arrests, patterns of enforced disappearances, and the involvement of military personnel in civilian matters such as crowd-controlling measures.
Report findings publicly to ensure accountability, international awareness, and the protection of citizens exercising their democratic rights.
Publicly call the Indonesian Government in terms of the current state violence and to immediately cease actions of excessive use of force, state apparatus brutality, to normalizing the mirroring of authoritarian practices including normalizing practices of enforced disappearances.
Open Letter to UN OHCHR_ Urgent Monitoring and Investigation Needed on Escalating Violence in Indonesia_Sign Download